thief

noun

plural thieves ˈthēvz How to pronounce thief (audio)
: one that steals especially stealthily or secretly
also : one who commits theft or larceny

Examples of thief in a Sentence

A thief took my purse. a thief has been stealing wallets and valuables from the lockers at the gym
Recent Examples on the Web Last year, police in Minnesota and Connecticut issued similar warnings to residents when groups of Wi-Fi jamming thieves made their rounds. Julia Daye, Sacramento Bee, 5 Mar. 2024 Thayer estimates that the thief took $30,000 to $50,000 in merchandise, including several handmade leather jackets. Kate Talerico, The Mercury News, 2 Mar. 2024 The thief stole 14 deer mounts, along with a bear hide, a wolf hide, a sheep hide, a mountain goat hide, and multiple boxes of .22 ammo. Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 29 Feb. 2024 Today, the frames from which thieves cut their loot still hang empty, the chance they’ll be made whole again fading with every passing year. Julie Belcove, Robb Report, 24 Feb. 2024 Some wealthy collectors store their cars in secret locations with round-the-clock security and dogs at night, but thieves can still win out. Vjosa Isai, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2024 Moments later, the rear of one of the vehicle crashes through a windowed garage door, which collapses like tin foil, as the thieves open a path for what would be the theft of nine vehicles from Fields Jaguar Land Rover Volvo Waukesha, 1901 E. Moreland Blvd. Jim Riccioli, Journal Sentinel, 26 Feb. 2024 The thief had allegedly confessed, which was how the caller knew where to find me. Michelle Singletary, Washington Post, 21 Feb. 2024 The thief destroys the prior appointment, gets a notarized signature from the elder and that’s it. Carolyn Rosenblatt, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'thief.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English theef, from Old English thēof; akin to Old High German diob thief

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of thief was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near thief

Cite this Entry

“Thief.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thief. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

thief

noun
plural thieves ˈthēvz How to pronounce thief (audio)
: one that steals

Legal Definition

thief

noun
plural thieves
: one who commits theft
Etymology

Old English thēof

More from Merriam-Webster on thief

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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